Probable Cause: The pilot’s inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion.
NTSB Accidents
Failure to activate pitot heat leads to loss of control
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to activate the pitot heat in a timely manner during flight into icing conditions, which resulted in a temporary failure of the flight instruments and a subsequent loss of control.
Wind shear fatal for pilot
Probable Cause: The airplane’s encounter with low level wind shear associated with moderate turbulence, which resulted in a loss of airplane control.
Failure to ensure proper fuel selector position fatal for pilot
Probable Cause: The pilot’s failure to ensure a proper fuel selector position before takeoff, which resulted in a loss of left engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control after the loss of left engine power.
Taxiing Cessna runs into parked airplane
The pilot’s failure to maintain an adequate visual lookout during taxi, which resulted in a collision with a parked airplane. Contributing was the marshaller’s improper marshalling techniques.
Pilot with get-there-itis crashes his newly purchased airplane
Probable Cause: The pilot’s decision to fly the airplane in which he had no experience in strong, gusting wind, which resulted his failure to maintain proper airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack and a subsequent aerodynamic stall.
Flight into icing conditions ends in crash
The pilot’s continued flight into icing conditions in an airplane that was not equipped for icing, which led to structural icing, subsequent loss of airplane control and impact with terrain.
Mechanic’s improper servicing of magneto leads to total loss of engine power
Probable Cause: Maintenance personnel’s improper servicing of the magneto, which resulted in its accelerated wear, failure, and the total loss of engine power.
Compromised oil pressure line fitting proves fatal for two
An in-flight fire due to a compromised oil pressure line fitting, which resulted in a collision with terrain during a subsequent emergency landing.